News — Self-Help
What Matters To A Teenage Boy Is Probably Not What You Think
Posted by Lisa Johnson on
The following was a response to a question to a college essay asking, "What matters to you?" A bit unexpected... (GUEST BLOG by Izzy Johnson) -- Ever since I was young, one of my biggest fears has been being alone. That’s why community is so important to me. Although it has been challenging to feel a sense of belonging within groups, I crave connection. Who would have thought that spending Wednesday evenings sweating with a bunch of middle-aged women, dancing to R&B music, would be something that makes me happy? I was born almost a month early,...
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- Tags: Adolescence, Affirmation, Celebrate Life, Community Building, Connection, Exercise, Family, Health and Wellness, Inspiration, Love, Middle Age Life, Mothering, Parenting, Power, Relationships, Resilience, Self-Help, Social Activity, Strength, Teen Boy
UNMASKING THE ABUSER: Commentary on Dina McMillan and How To Prevent Abuse & Domestic Violence
Posted by Lisa Johnson on
Being the parent of a teen daughter, and having just finished a domestic abuse advocate a certification course, I keep thinking about what I can do for my kids to make sure that they don’t end up in the same situation I was in, being married to an abusive partner. How did I, a smart, educated and competent woman, end up in something so outrageous? It was my sister who first said, “Lisa, you have been in an abusive relationship,” when I finally extracted myself after eighteen years, and my reaction was nothing short of shock. There is...
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- Tags: Advocacy, Against the World, Authority, Been There, Been There Got Out, Boyfriend, Crisis Counselor, Dina McMillan, Divorce, Domestic Abuse, Domestic Violence, Elin Stebbins Waldal, Emotional Abuse, Emotional Health, Entitled, False, Fatigued, Girlfriend, Grooming, Guilt, Healing, Intimacy, Isolation, Lying, Manipulate, Manipulation, Marathon, Monster, Narcissism, Narcissistic Abuse, Narcissistic Supply, No Empathy, Obey, Paramour, Partner, Prevention, Psychological Abuse, Push-Pull, Recovery, Self-Help, Single Mom, Spouse, Survivor, Teen Violence, Too Much, Too Soon, Transforming, Unbalanced, Unmasking the Abuser, Verbal Abuse, Women's Health, You and Me
Strong Powerful Women: HEATHER FLAHERTY - FEMALE BOXER, MOTHER, CHAMPION
Posted by Lisa Johnson on
This is the first in a series of blogs about strong women I know personally, and today’s obvious choice is Heather, a friend and fellow turbo sweatie. When I first started classes at the Y, I myself was going through a lot of personal trauma in the wake of my son’s best friend’s suicide, and some severe marital issues. While normally I am quick to make friends, months passed with only a casual greeting between myself and fellow gym mates. Heather was and remains the friendliest girl in our classes, and was one of the first people I...
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- Tags: Adolescence, Affirmation, Agility, Anorexia, Can Do, Capable, Celebrate Life, Champion, Character, Community Building, Connecting, Connection, Endurance, Family, Family Life, Feel Good, Female Boxing, Finding New Love, Friendship, Gym, Gym Rat, Happiness, Healing, Health, Health and Wellness, Identity, Knock Your Socks Off, Middle Age Life, Midlife Boxing, New Friends, Parenthood, Parenting, Power, Reclaim, Recovery, Relationships, Resilience, Self-Help, Self-Sufficient, Share your Story, Stamina, Starting Over, Strength, Success Story, Talent, Trauma, Womens Health, Womens Issues, Workout, YMCA
DEEPENING FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS WITH WOMEN & THEIR FATHERS AND SONS: STEP BY STEP
Posted by Lisa Johnson on
When I was little, every Sunday morning started by walking with my dad “to get the paper.” Instead of The New York Times being delivered to our house, he liked to go down to the local drugstore for it, and I would accompany him. As the eldest child, my sister still a toddler and at home with my mom, I basked in his full attention. The neighborhood I lived in was called Indian Village, and all of the streets were named after Native American tribes. Probably less for tradition and more as a deterrent for cars, almost every...
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- Tags: Adolescence, Adolescent Boy, Agility, Capable, Celebrate Life, Childhood, Connecting, Connection, Conversation Starters, Dissolution of Long-Term Marriage, Divorce, Divorce and Children, Endurance, Family, Family Life, Feel Good, Fitness, Friendship, Good Idea, Happiness, Healing, Health, Health and Wellness, Identity, Love, Men's Life, Mental Health, Middle Age Life, Motherhood, Mothering, New Year's Resolution, Parenthood, Parenting, Real Men, Reclaim, Recovery, Relationships, Relatives, Resilience, Self-Help, Social Activity, Starting Over, Suicide, Teen Identity, Tough Life Decisions, Walking, Womens Issues, Workout
The Evolution of a Gym Rat: Instagram Envy, and How I Made Fitness A Top Priority
Posted by Lisa Johnson on
Under the guise of business, I began dipping into the waters of Instagram for the past year, and observed that anyone with posts related to exercise, workouts or hard bodies, seems to get LOADS of likes. Why do people pay so much attention to everyone else’s progress? Is it really motivating to see how far others have succeeded? In elementary school, I was a gymnast. My best friend used to tease me because I wore sweatpants to school four days a week, and owned one pair of patchwork dungarees with a parrot on back pocket (boy, do I wish...
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- Tags: Affirmation, Agility, Back Injury, Can Do, Capable, Cardio, Celebrate Life, Childhood, Connecting, Dance, Dance Party, Endurance, Envy, Family Life, Feel Good, Fitness, Friendship, Good Idea, Gym Rate, Gymnastics, Happiness, Healing, Health, Health and Wellness, Injury, Instagram, Middle Age Life, New Friends, New Year's Resolution, Parenthood, Physical Therapy, Power, Priority, Recovery, Self-Help, Share your Story, Social Activity, Social Media, Starting Over, Strength, Treating Oneself, Womens Health, Workout, YMCA